The Shadow In Us All
by ParisPhantom
Summary: Two years since Arra and Gavner had died. Two years since Kundra Smult was pronounced a traitor. Two years since I was awarded the pleasure becoming the youngest vampire Prince. But I never thought it could be this much of a nightmare. I couldn't take anymore, something just finally snapped... (Mentions of the Saga of Larten Crepsley, if you haven't read that you won't get this.)


Okay guys this is a little one shot that I had a mind. I absolutely adore the Darren Shan series! when I read the prequel, I always had this question. Did anybody ask about what happened to Wester? After all, Larten just killed him on a rooftop after severing his hand off and hugging him till he bled to death but… What did everybody else think happened? (THIS IS A ONE-SHOT!)

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Darren's P.O.V

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Two years...

Two years since Arra and Gavner had died. Two years since Kurda Smult was pronounced a traitor. Two years since I was awarded the pleasure becoming the youngest vampire Prince. But I never thought it could be this much of a nightmare. I was currently dozing off, sitting my throne looking around the room. My mentor Larten Crepsley was standing behind me his hand was clutched on the top of my chair; his knuckles had turned bleach white. I could understand his anger, with all the stress going around because of the trouble with the Vampaneze and getting nothing done about it, it's completely understandable why he's not in a good mood. After Kundra was sentenced, a vampire squealed about it to the Vampaneze and they found out that we had killed a large lot of them too. There is rumor among the vampire generals that the Vampaneze were deciding whether or not to declare war. Suddenly I remembered there was someone standing in front of us. He was vampire general, his name I didn't catch, and he was talking about the Vampaneze attacking him with no warning. I sighed and turned my gaze away from him trying to gather my thoughts, suddenly my throat started burn and my lungs started to cramp. This was a sign of one thing. I let out a small cough. Apparently that was a big mistake because the general front of me stopped talking and all the other princes turned to face me. That was it. I couldn't take anymore, something just finally snapped.

"What," I spat not bothering to hold in my anger "I can only hold in a cough for so long."

"I…its fine Prince Darren." The general standing before us stuttered. I turned to him shooting him a glare.

"Get out." I hissed. I was sick and tired of hearing all these things about Vampaneze and their problems causing _us_ problems.

"W... What?" The general stuttered again his eyes widened in shock.

I shot out my chair leaned forward on the throne and growled "Get out!"

The general ran out of the room. I threw my hands in the air.

"I'm sick of hearing the word Vampaneze. If they are such a big problem then let us just annihilate them. We need to stop the problem before it escalates too far out of our hands!" By the end of my rant I ended up yelling at the other princes in the room. Before any of them could say anything I stomped out of the throne room and went to go find something to drink. Man, all this yelling had made my throat even drier.

* * *

Larten's P.O.V

I sighed as Darren stormed out the throne room.

"I am sorry…" I started but Paris cut me off.

"There is no need to apologize, we are all a little tired." He said calmly, a small smile formed on his aged face.

"I am more surprised that he lasted this long." Mika muttered.

"You know he reminds me a little about Wester and his views on the Vampaneze." Arrow spoke up.

I frowned at the comparison between my assistant and _him_. I had never told anyone what happened to Wester and I planned to keep it that way. Of course people had asked if anyone had seen him but…

"Yes I have noticed that as well." Mika agreed.

I growled despite of myself .

The other princes stopped and stared at me. I sighed.

"I am going to look for Darren before he gets himself into trouble." I said as I made my way out of the throne room and into the main halls.

* * *

Third person's P.O.V

A scowling Darren walked into the dining hall, were only one other vampire was there. The other vampire was Seba Nile, the teacher to Darren's own mentor. But Darren simply ignored him for the time being as he went and got some Ale; he needed something to calm his nerves. Darren fixed his drink and sat down across from Seba who had seemed to yet notice his appearance. But Darren didn't mind he needed time to think. The two sat in silence for about a couple of minutes before Seba spoke.

"Care to tell me what happened to James?"Darren jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Who?" Darren asked tilting his head to the side.

"The general who came out of the throne room looking like he was being sent to execution." Seba clarified.

"Oh." Darren said distastefully.

"So what happened?" Seba pressed again.

"I'm so sick of hearing about the Vampaneze! If they are killing off our numbers then we must take actions to protect us. That's the problem! There is no use negotiating with psychos!" Darren exploded again, taking a swig of his drink.

"Ah, so I assume that you yelled at him?"Seba asked smiling lightly as he was reminded at how Larten's temper was at Darren's age.

"All I said was get out." Darren huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am sorry that you hate the Vampaneze so much."Seba stated.

"I don't hate the vampaneze;" Darren sighed "I'm just irritated as to why we haven't done anything as of late to stop this problem."

Suddenly the hall doors opened and Larten Crepsley walked in, his red cape whisked behind hm.

"There you are! I have looked all over mountain for you." Larten said exasperated as he walked up to where Darren and Seba were sitting.

"Sorry I walked out like that," Darren said his head down; now that he thought about it he did sound pretty childish. "I just couldn't take it anymore."

Larten sighed "It is fine Darren; we were all a little tired. But please the next time you feel like you are going to yell at someone, tell me first." Larten smiled a little. "Now you need to head bed and we will start again tomorrow."

Darren nodded and stood up. He bowed slightly in departure and quietly made his way out the hall.

Larten was about to follow his student but Seba called him back.

"Something is troubling you, Larten, what is it?"

Larten turned back to his mentor and gave a half smile.

"I am just tired." He said.

Seba frowned.

"Please do not lie to me Larten, now I am going to ask you again. What is wrong?"

"It is nothing, the princes just made a comparison between Darren and someone."Larten replied about to turned back around to leave.

"Sit, we are not done with conversation." Seba commanded.

Larten sighed and sat across from his mentor.

"Who was this person they compared Darren with?" Seba asked leaning forward on the table.

"Wester." Larten mumbled.

"Ah," Seba said as he leaned back into his original position. "In all honesty, Larten by the way he was acting he reminded me more of you when you were his age."

Larten got a little red around the ears.

"I don't think it was that," Larten started "When he was talking, well …um… yelling, to the princes, his views on the Vampaneze were very similar to that of Wester's."

"That is not true at all, Larten. Wester hated the Vampaneze, Darren does not. He is simply not experienced enough to understand the circumstances." Seba stated.

"How do you know if that is true?" Larten asked raising an eyebrow.

"If I told you that I just I just knew, would you believe me?" Seba asked smiling.

Larten frowned.

"Ha! I thought I might get that answer out of you." Seba laughed. "Darren told me, he is just frustrated is all."

"You must be drunk." Larten grumbled.

"Larten," Seba sighed. "Darren is not going to make the same mistakes that led you to kill Wester."

Larten stared at his mentor in shock.

"You knew?" he whispered

"Of course I knew, I have known you for three hundred years! I can read you like an open book." Seba smirked as he threw his hands in the air.

Larten moaned as he put his face in his hands.

"I am so sorry, master. But he was killing lots innocent humans and Vampaneze for his own sick revenge. It had to be done."

"I do not disapprove of your actions, Larten. I am just disappointed that it happened that way." Seba said looking directly at his old charge.

"I just fear that something might happen and Darren will let revenge rule his life."Larten sighed looking at Seba again.

"Well if that starts to happen you will always be there to keep him in line." Seba smiled trying to make light of this dark subject.

"Of course."Larten smiled back.

There was a moment of silence between the two before Seba spoke again

"You should fallow your assistants lead and get some sleep, you have a whole other day of listening to Vampaneze stories tomorrow." Seba said as Larten stood up.

"I shall see you tomorrow, if I get a chance at all to leave the hall of princes." Larten joked

"Tomorrow then." Seba smiled as he watched his old student leave.

Larten sighed as he made his way to his sleeping chamber. Finally making it to his coffin, he laid down and closed his eyes, making a mental note to not let Darren make the same mistakes Wester did.

"I will not fail you Darren, not like I did Wester." He said to himself as he closed the lid of his coffin, to hopefully sleep away his woes of the future of his naive assistant.

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To the GUEST who first reviewed this story, thank you. I don't know how else to explain my gratitude to you. I know you will most likely never see this but I have to wish there was more people like you on FanFiction. Your constructive criticism was great. And the thing about Kurda name was just embarrassing, I'm sorry. Also, with _that_ sentence, which I will not put down, your correct with all your theories. I did choose the United States because I live here. But I also choses the United States because that sentence is what Americans think we should have done during the time of WW2. I did take that out because are correct, the other "Allies" where a big part in our success against the "Powers" and without them we would have failed. When I wrote this I had the education of a 6th grader and my thoughts on WW2 were pretty juvenile. When I was going to post this I was a little apprehensive because the last thing I wanted was to offend any one. Thank you once again for your help. I wish I knew how you were. I you love to talk with you about your views on WW2 and what you were taught in school. But since finding out would be unlikely I just hope this message explained how thankful I am.

**NOTES: **Wow. I really was happy about finishing this. I have had this unfinished in word doc for about a two years now, but I really enjoyed doing it. I think the hardest thing about this was the diction difference between Seba, Larten and Darren. I had to constantly stop and take out all the contractions that where in something Larten or Seba had said. Anyway I will be updating my other stories pretty soon so be on the lookout. Please, let me know of any grammar or spelling mistakes. And if you have any questions I'm just one quick PM away!

P.S I have also made a deviantART page so if you want to see it it's under ParisPhantom73176. (Some chick already took ParisPhantom)

Your happy author,

ParisPhantom


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